5 Ways to Cope with Life After Camp

Coming home is hard. Sure, there’s the initial joy of seeing your parents for the first time in forever, but once that passes the longing begins. And it hurts. Instead of ski at second morning, you have French at second period, and a (relatively) clean white t-shirt no longer counts as Friday-night fancy. So what’s a White Piner to do? Well, you could always count the days to camp (308). Or, you could take our advice. Here’s five things you can to help cope with life after camp.

1.       Plan a Cabin Reunion

Sure, your Dad might not love it if you’re up ‘till 1:00 AM, blasting Bieber and gorging on chicken nuggets, but he’ll have a hard time saying no to an old-fashioned camp sleepover.

2.       Skype with a Friend

A full cabin reunion might prove difficult if your bunkmate lives in Saitama, Japan, but there’s no reason why you can’t fire up your brother’s laptop and Skype. It’s a great way to stay connected, and it’s always nice to see a friendly face.

3.  Plan a Sunday Night Sing Song

Missing that classic Sunday night ritual? Then why not pack your family into the living room, change the channel to the fireplace station, and strum some Joni Mitchell on your Mom’s old acoustic guitar. While your tasteful throw pillows and understated Persian rugs won’t exactly conjure up memories of a White Pine sunset, it’s still a wholesome time for the whole family.

4. Host an Outdoor Dinner

Nothing cures camp nostalgia quite like the site of your Dad in chef’s whites flipping salami slices on your backyard barbeque. But remember: Kiwis and Koalas at the front of the line!

5.  Sing the Camp Prayers Before you Eat

Before you scarf down some cold pop tarts and a glass of OJ, why not sing the camp prayer? If you close your eyes, it’s almost like you’re back in the dining hall at White Pine.